The present invention relates generally to methods and devices for displaying products, materials and/or information; and relates more particularly to a display system utilizing display boards or pallet cards of multiple and differing size and/or shape, and to associated display methods, for improving the display presentation of floor covering products or other materials.
Currently, many types of materials and information such as carpet, wood flooring, laminate, vinyl, ceramic, rugs and other floor covering products, wall-paper, paneling and paint, as well as associated marketing information, pricing, etc., are displayed on loose samples or on page or board-type displays referred to as pallet card displays or rack and board displays. Each pallet card typically displays one or more samples of a floor covering product or other material and/or information on one or both of its sides. The cards can be made of, for example, card stock, wrapped card stock, hardboard, styrene, formed or molded plastic products, wood, metal, or other material(s). One or more such pallet cards are typically attached to a display fixture or rack of some type, including but not limited to floor-standing or wall-mounted support devices using a short pin-long pin mounting method, rods, hinges, or other attachment means to secure the cards thereon. The display device usually has a single array of display cards, or one row of pallet cards to a side, although in some instances, multi-tiered arrays of small cards are used.
Typically all pallet cards in an array on the display device are approximately the same size and shape, with card sizes commonly ranging from as small as 16xe2x80x3xc3x9716xe2x80x3 on small displays to as large as 24xe2x80x3xc3x9748xe2x80x3 on large displays. Usually the long dimension forms the spine of the pallet card, which is pivotally mounted to the support device. While some current displays are adjustable to allow use of card arrays of various sizes all known systems use only one size card, both in height and width, on any one array of the display.
It has been found that currently known display devices limit the ability to display material or information on underlying cards of an array, since overlying cards of the array, typically being of about the same size and shape as the underlying cards, cover substantially all of the surface area of the underlying cards. Although a viewer typically can pivot the overlying cards out of the way to view an underlying card, many viewers will not always put forth the time and effort to flip through an entire array to view the material on every one of the cards. Moreover, many xe2x80x9cimpulsexe2x80x9d buyers will not even bother to approach a display if material they might be interested in is hidden from view by overlying cards bearing material that they are not interested in.
Thus, it can be seen that needs exist for improved display devices and methods of display.
The present invention includes display devices and methods providing improved display characteristics, greater ability to convey information to customers, and being more user-friendly than previously known display systems. The display device and method of the present invention assist both the customer and the dealer by making it easier to organize and understand various product features. For example, product features such as price points can be indicated and related to the consumer and/or the dealer by a corresponding display feature such as the size and/or shape of the display panel or board on which the product is mounted. The display device and method of the present invention also provide improved visual impact and permit easier product comparison, allowing multiple types or styles of product to be viewed simultaneously. Additionally, the dealer can more readily xe2x80x9ctrade upxe2x80x9d when selling to a customer due to the ability to display larger-sized samples of more expensive product, and to explain and show multiple price points for product based on a relation between pricing and display panel size. The display device and method of the present invention also enable a more focused impact display, wherein multiple samples of variations of the same type of material, for example samples of the same carpet pattern in a spectrum of different colors, are displayed on panels of the same display device.
In one aspect, the invention is a display device. The device of the present invention preferably includes a rack; a first display panel mounted to the rack; and a second display panel overlying a portion of the first display panel, whereby at least a portion of the first display panel extends beyond an edge of the second display panel.
In another aspect, the invention is a set of display panels for use in a display device. The set of display panels of the present invention preferably includes at least two display panels, wherein a second display panel of the set can overlie a portion of a first display panel of the set while leaving another portion of the first display panel uncovered.
In still another aspect, the invention is a display method. The display method of the present invention preferably includes the steps of providing a first display panel having a first display surface; and providing a second display panel having a second display surface, the second display panel overlying the first display panel but leaving a portion of the first display surface visible.
These and other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will be understood with reference to the drawing figures and detailed description herein, and will be realized by means of the various elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following brief description of the drawings and detailed description of the invention are exemplary and explanatory of preferred embodiments of the invention, and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.